Former world number one Daniil Medvedev charged past world No. 52 Fabian Marozsan with a 7-5, 6-2 win in just 66 minutes, reaching the semifinals at the Almaty Open, his third in a row after Beijing and Shanghai on Friday in Kazakhstan.
Assessing the encounter courtside, he said, “The first set was really tough, I had to save three set points. But I’m really happy with the way I played, especially after this moment, and I’m happy I managed to win.”
“I served really well today, and I managed to step up my game when I needed to, so I hope I can continue playing this way,” he added.
The 20-time ATP titlist has been displaying some of his A-game, and as a result, he notched his 300th hard-court match victory since 2018 (most on tour) against the Hungarian player, winning 9 of the last 11 games in staggering fashion.
The Match in Review
The Budapest native made a solid start and did not lose a point until his third service game, holding to a 3-2 lead.
In a lengthy tenth game, Medvedev withstood heavy pressure, fending off three break points to hold his ground at 5-5.
Then, the 29-year-old pushed an extra gear, taking a clinical break, the first of the match, and held to love, coming out on top 7-5 in 38 minutes.
With the wind in his sails, he broke to open proceedings in the second set, extending his advantage to 4-1 by converting a double break in the fifth game.
In control, he neutralized his adversary to seal the set and the match with an ace 6-2 in 27 minutes, firing 27 winners against 12 unforced errors.
All in all, he won 79 percent of the points on his first serve and 64 percent on his second delivery, converting three of four break point opportunities.
On Saturday, the Moscow-born will square off against Australian qualifier James Duckworth, who returns to the semifinals for the first time since 2021 after stunning third seed Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-2 earlier in the day.
During his post-match press conference, the 33-year-old outlined: “I really enjoy playing here. I’ve been playing some good tennis this week. It’s a bit bouncy, there’s some altitude, and I enjoy playing indoors. It’s such a well-run tournament, and I really feel at home here.”
Medvedev leads Duckworth 1-0 in the series; their lone meeting took place at the 2021 edition of the Masters 1000 in Canada, a straight-set win for the former.
The other semifinal will feature Frenchman Corentin Moutet against sixth seed Alex Michelsen.
Recovering Lost Ground
Following an early shocking exit at the US Open, the former champion took a month to reflect on a controversial, far from ideal season, which led to the decision of parting ways with longtime coach Gilles Cervara.
Before kickstarting the Asian swing at the Hangzhou Open, he held a pre-tournament press conference, announcing his new collaboration with Thomas Johansoon and Rohan Goetzke for the remainder of the season; thus far, all good.
He made it through the quarterfinals in Hangzhou before progressing to the semifinals in Beijing and Shanghai, leaving behind top-seeded opponents in the process.
Back in form, the world No. 14, who has yet to win a title since 2023, is on a late surge, looking to end his season strong.
His chances to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals are unlikely but not impossible. As of today, he stands 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
“You always want to play better and do more,” the second seed in Almaty shared early this week. “It’s a step-by-step process. So far, things have been working well. Let’s see how it goes.”